Tories tally $3B in funding on cross-country tour

[Leafless]

Three weeks into their summer break, Conservative government MPs have been busy crossing the country handing out cash some hope will boost their party's political fortunes.

Yesterday, for example, the Conservatives announced they'd sealed a deal with Nova Scotia that will see the province keep $867 million in energy royalties that otherwise would have gone to the federal government.

And, as soon as aircraft maker Bombardier announced a new jet yesterday at an air show in England, Industry Minister Jim Prentice put out a news release reminding voters in Quebec that the federal government was giving the company $350 million to ensure it made those planes near Montreal.

Number of days since MPs left Ottawa: 23

Number of funding announcements since then: 146

Total value of funding announcements: $3.04 billion

Funding announcements by province *

PROVINCE TOTAL NUMBER OF ANNOUNCEMENTS

Quebec $1,145,812,258 31

Nova Scotia $889,846,000 10

Ontario $360,437,860 28

Outside Canada $304,000,000 2

British Columbia $191,627,256 18

New Brunswick $69,599,795 13

Alberta $60,208,219 13

P.E.I. $11,125,367 7

Newfoundland

and Labrador $4,160,570 10

Saskatchewan $1,325,709 7

Manitoba $1,002,300 7

Nunavut 0 0

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...0858000&p=1

I assumed Mr. Harpers leadership was all that is needed to win the hearts of all Canadians to vote Conservative.

Why waste tax payers money on pork barrelling and especially dedicating the lions share to thankless Quebec.

Does Mr. Harper actually think he will gain headway into Quebec and increase party fortunes, while transforming Quebec into just another docile Canadian province?

Think again Mr. Harper because you are going to fail.

Stop playing dysfunctional politics and give Canadians by way of referendum the choice, to decide, on whether or not to retain Quebec in confederation.

[Fortunata]

Didn't Harper criticize the Liberals for doing the exact same thing ... buying votes? One think you can surely count on with him is the predictable double standard.

[Leafless]

Didn't Harper criticize the Liberals for doing the exact same thing ... buying votes? One think you can surely count on with him is the predictable double standard.

One can not really blame Mr. Harper trying to capitalize on a Liberal success story (vote buying) especially in Quebec.

Only trouble is Mr. Harper is a Westerner and is not a Quebecer.

Waste of time and waste of tax payers money.

Could be and probably is.

[Black Dog]

Does Mr. Harper actually think he will gain headway into Quebec and increase party fortunes, while transforming Quebec into just another docile Canadian province?

I dunno, but he's gonna spend your money to find out. Bwah. ha. Ha.

[guyser]

Only trouble is Mr. Harper is a Westerner and is not a Quebecer.

Born and raised in Etobicoke. I guess that is west of you............

[capricorn]

Only trouble is Mr. Harper is a Westerner and is not a Quebecer.

Harper was born and raised in Ontario. Amazing how some Canadians still don't know this.

[capricorn]

IMO Harper will make sure to spend the surplus before the next election is called. This will prevent the Liberals from making campaign promises based on any surplus lying around. So that would leave the green shift plan as the main Liberal plank. And should the Liberals defeat the Conservatives, there would be little money left in the kitty for Liberals to squander.

[Fortunata]

And should the Liberals defeat the Conservatives, there would be little money left in the kitty for Liberals to squander.

Oh yeah, it's much better for the Conservatives to squander it than the Liberals.

[jdobbin]

IMO Harper will make sure to spend the surplus before the next election is called.

And possibly put Canada into deficit since they can't seem to control themselves in spending.

[capricorn]

Oh yeah, it's much better for the Conservatives to squander it than the Liberals.

Yup.

[capricorn]

And possibly put Canada into deficit since they can't seem to control themselves in spending.

Weren't you saying elsewhere that cutting the GST to 5% would put the country in a deficit? Hasn't happened. I really don't think the Conservatives would spend us into a deficit. But I know you lie awake at night hoping they would.

[jdobbin]

Weren't you saying elsewhere that cutting the GST to 5% would put the country in a deficit? Hasn't happened. I really don't think the Conservatives would spend us into a deficit. But I know you lie awake at night hoping they would.

Actually, I said that continued spending would put the country in deficit and that the GST cut should have been an income tax instead.

As for the rest of your personalizing, it really isn't called for.

[Cameron]

So, what ever happened to the cheering when Chretien was going to get rid of the GST all together?

[Topaz]

I dont think Harper is out of the woods yet as far as the spending goes. The military will take alot more before Canada withdraws from Afg. IF we really do. The unemployment insurance will be evaportaing soon, as people from Ontario to some of the Martimes start to draw the funds. I think Harper is just cheaping the Canadian vote when he does this again and again when he thinks Dion may call for an election. Is this the 3rd or 4th time Harper has spread the taxpayers money??

[blueblood]

I dont think Harper is out of the woods yet as far as the spending goes. The military will take alot more before Canada withdraws from Afg. IF we really do. The unemployment insurance will be evaportaing soon, as people from Ontario to some of the Martimes start to draw the funds. I think Harper is just cheaping the Canadian vote when he does this again and again when he thinks Dion may call for an election. Is this the 3rd or 4th time Harper has spread the taxpayers money??

The Maritimes? They are now rigging like Western Canada and are starting to enjoy the high life. With Oil at 140 bucks a barrell, the feds can spend a little more.

[Fortunata]

Yup.

Ah yes, the old right wing double standard.

But I know you lie awake at night hoping they would.

You know? Really? How do you know? Did jdobbin tell you this? Maybe you could enlighten us.

So, what ever happened to the cheering when Chretien was going to get rid of the GST all together?

It's hard to believe any politician nowadays. It's all pie in the sky, people with short memories and those who would justify anything their party does (or doesn't do).

[Smallc]

I dont think Harper is out of the woods yet as far as the spending goes. The military will take alot more before Canada withdraws from Afg. IF we really do. The unemployment insurance will be evaportaing soon, as people from Ontario to some of the Martimes start to draw the funds. I think Harper is just cheaping the Canadian vote when he does this again and again when he thinks Dion may call for an election. Is this the 3rd or 4th time Harper has spread the taxpayers money??

Even without Afghanistan, the military is going to take a big chunk in the nest few years, not to mention the Coast Guard. We need new Destroyers and SAR planes yesterday. We're also about 10 years from needing new fighter jets. The Coast Guard is getting one new Arctic icebreaker, but many of the other large ships are getting old as well. There are big projects that still have to be completed.

[Leafless]

Harper was born and raised in Ontario. Amazing how some Canadians still don't know this.

Harper was born in 1959 in the province of Ontario and left to go to Alberta in 1978.

For all practical reasons and as an adult, he is a Westerner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper